Bill 201 - the Alberta Health Care Insurance (Access Fees) Amendment Act.

No Albertan should ever have to pay to see a family doctor. That is why the Alberta NDP has introduced Bill 201, the Alberta Health Care Insurance (Access Fees) Amendment Act.

This summer, a medical clinic in Calgary informed its patients that they would be introducing a plan to charge fees for faster access to its family doctors. Patients who didn’t come up with thousands of dollars in fees would go to the back of the line.

These access fees undermine the very values of public health care and public outcry forced the clinic to halt the plan.

But that doesn’t mean we won’t see something like this tried again.

The UCP Government has introduced legislation to give Cabinet veto power over all public health decisions, and they unveiled a plan to break up our healthcare system and create income uncertainty for medical professionals and support workers.

The Alberta NDP will oppose any measure that forces Albertans to pay to see a family doctor.

If passed, Bill 201 will ensure that no Albertan has to pay out of pocket to access health care services in Alberta.

It would do this by ensuring health care delivery in Alberta is in line with the Canada Health Act, and making it clear that “access fees”  — or charging feed to access insured services - are prohibited in Alberta.

In addition, it would strengthen the actions that a Minister must take when an individual contravenes the Act — actions that were not taken in the Summer of 2023 when the Health Minister was silent.

Albertans deserve better. Albertans deserve a public health-care system that is respected, supported and there for them when they need it — which is why all members of the Assembly should support this common-sense legislation.

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“No Albertan should ever have to pay to see a doctor. We should have legislation to cement this guarantee and back it up with proper funding to stabilize our health system and focus on prevention and primary care.”

• Dr. David Keegan, a family doctor and Professor of Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine

“In the past, Danielle Smith has repeatedly talked about Albertans paying to access a family doctor, paying deductibles for surgery, and has proposed concerning policies such as health spending accounts.

“Yet, when election time came around she repeatedly promised Albertans they would never have to pay for a family doctor. But given the UCP’s record on health care and their relentless push for privatization - I don’t have any confidence that Albertans can trust Danielle Smith simply on her word.”

• Chris Gallaway, Executive Director of the Friends of Medicare